A father's instincts
by Warrior from beyond
Summary: Summary inside.
1. Chapter 1

AN: I was watching the first episode of DBZ. Right in the middle I thought of Raditz and this popped into my head. So here goes. This starts mid-way through the episode. Also, I'm not going to describe the characters. Sorry.

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Gohan was running angrily after the large cat who stole his hat. Large tears fell from his eyes. He screamed and didn't see as the lion dodged to one side and Gohan fell into the rushing water and clung tightly to a fallen log.

"Daddy!" the young male screamed.

The water lapped up and slapped viciously as it pulled the young child down and farther away from his father.

"Daddy!"

Above him flying at breakneck speeds an assassin heard the baby's cry. He stopped in mid-air and looked down. Surprise filled his eyes as a sharp image of his little girl popped into his head. Tears stung his eyes as he flew down toward the screams.

'Hang on little baby, Raditz is coming.'

He blasted down faster and paused looking around below him. His scouter suddenly beeped as the log resurfaced. Gohan came up clinging to the log and started coughing. Raditz flew down and shoved his left hand into the water and gripped his collar. With his right he grabbed what he thought was part of the child's clothes. He pulled hard and drew the child out of the water.

'What the-! He has a tail!'

Raditz drew the baby close in his arms. He quickly released the baby's tail which he had a very tight grip on. Gohan relaxed instantly and looked up.

"Hey, little one" Raditz said.

Gohan stared up at him with wide eyes.

"I'm Gohan. Who are you?"

"I'm Raditz. How old are you Gohan?"

Raditz's scouter beeped again showing a high power level coming close quickly.

"I'm four and a half" Gohan said quietly. "I want my daddy."

Raditz looked down at the small boy and felt tears sting his eyes again as he remembered that those were his daughter's last words.

"Hey! You saved my son!"

Raditz jerked up his head, and nearly passed out. Flying toward him on a large yellow cloud was a young warrior who looked almost identical to his father.

"Daddy" Gohan yelled when he saw Goku.

"Gohan."

Goku stopped in front of Raditz and grinned broadly.

"Thank-you" he said holding out his arms.

"Can-can I carry him for a while?" Raditz asked hesitantly. "it's been a long time since I've held a young Saiyan."

Goku slowly nodded.

"Maybe Master Roshi will help me understand what you mean. Come on, let's go."

Raditz nodded and followed the younger Saiyan.

"I'm Goku."

"Name's Raditz."

"Daddy. I lost my hat" Gohan whimpered.

Goku reached over and placed it on his son's head.

"No you didn't silly, it's on your head."

Raditz grinned as Gohan giggled in his arms.

AN: That is the end of the first chapter. Please R&R.


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Chapter 2 is up! Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Raditz held Gohan tightly in his arms as he and Goku landed lightly on the island in front of Goku's friends. The people there watched the three in surprise for a long moment. Goku rolled his eyes playfully and turned toward Raditz to tell him their names.

"That blue-haired female is my good friend Bulma. The bald little man beside her is my best friend Krillen and that is Master Roshi the Turtle Master. He started my training."

Raditz silently nodded and shifted Gohan in his arms to have the child sitting on his right hip incase he needed to blast a ki-attack with his left hand real fast. Gohan hid his little face against Raditz's neck and watched through the corner of his eye.

"Um, hey Goku" Krillen finally said walking toward them warily. He glanced quickly over at Raditz and smiled for Gohan. "Cute kid."

"That is my son, Gohan. My new friend Raditz saved Gohan from the river. Master Roshi what is a Saiyan?"

Master Roshi stepped forward and watched Raditz jerk his tail slowly back and forth. Raditz raised his eyes and for a long moment the two warriors locked eyes and tried to stare the other down. Raditz finally looked away and absently hugged Gohan. Gohan gave a soft grunt and Raditz instantly loosened his grip and touched heads with the boy.

"Come inside and we will discuss this" Master Roshi said as one eyebrow slowly rose.

He turned and walked inside without waiting for the others to respond. Bulma walked over and held out her arms for Gohan. Raditz looked side-ways at Goku who nodded so Raditz gently handed Gohan over to Bulma. Bulma narrowed her eyes warily at Raditz before she took Gohan inside. Raditz glared after her and glanced over at Krillen who was rubbing the back of his bald head and staring at Goku. Finally, Krillen shook his head and wandered in after Bulma.

Goku looked away from his friends and saw the look of pain in Raditz's eyes before Raditz could mask the look. Raditz quickly blanked his face making Goku smile slightly.

"You know Master Roshi?" he asked.

"He was a friend of Father's" Raditz said. Then he moved away from Goku and stepped into the small house; and had to cover his mouth to stop from laughing at the resemblance to a Saiyan house.

In accordance with Saiyan prayer for power in their lives as well as peace, all of the furniture was set at a very slight diagonal, even the pictures had the slightest of tilts, so slight it took Saiyan eyesight to see it. The carpet was a deep navy blue and the walls were a stark white.

Master Roshi was sitting on the couch and silently waiting for Raditz and Goku. Goku settled on the second couch with Krillen and Bulma who had Gohan in her lap. Goku patted the space right beside him but Raditz settled cross-legged on the floor in front of Master Roshi.

As soon as Raditz was sitting, Gohan bolted from Bulma's lap and came to plop down on the floor beside Raditz. Raditz gently ruffled the boy's hair then turned toward Master Roshi.

"Did your eyes ever heal Master Roshi?"

"They healed mostly Raditz, but they are very sensitive to light, hence the sunshades."

"What happened?" the other three demanded.

"Listen" Master Roshi said and he started on his tale. "The Saiyan race was once a proud race of people. They were fighters of the highest degree. No one held a candle to the power and pride that the Saiyans held. Except for one. The Icejin Frieza Cold started gaining power, mostly by destroying planets and selling the planet on the Trade Market. The Saiyans were roped into it because of their merciless nature and because of the quickly growing population. So Frieza went to the king of the Saiyans with an offer old Vegeta knew better than to refuse. Either try to fight and watch the planet go up in smoke or bow to Frieza and give the planet a fighting chance as one of Frieza's suppliers of warriors. So King Vegeta let Frieza take over and the other races were doomed because the weaker children were sent to destroy each planet and prepare it for sell. When the prince was born, three years under Frieza's thumb had the king terrified for his son, but Frieza appeared and said that the baby boy would stay on Vegetasai. So the child grew and upon his fifth birthday, he was taken away by Frieza's men. Instantly King Vegeta jumped to defend his son, giving Frieza a reason to wipe out the race he had begun to fear. All except for a handful were wiped out. Those that survived went into training with the races that they had been sent to destroy. Six however, had a much worse fate. They ended up on Frieza's ship. The three females were used as lab rats while the males were trained as assassin. Many races have fallen because of these three Saiyans and many more will fall if something doesn't change."

Master Roshi bowed his head and sighed softly. "That is enough for tonight. Get some rest. We will talk more in the morning."

Raditz nodded his dark head and glanced down at Gohan who was fast asleep leaning on him. Gently Raditz lifted the small child up and carried Gohan to a bedroom where Raditz tucked the boy in.

"Night Uncle Raditz" Gohan said sleepily.

"Night Gohan" Raditz murmured. He settled his powerful body on the ground beside the bed and grinned slightly.

AN: Finally done with the second chapter.


	3. Chapter 3

Title: A Father's Instincts

AN: Thank you for your patience with me, here is the next chapter that you have been waiting for for so long. Enjoy.

Chapter 3

"Raditz are you one of the handful that was left?"

Raditz looked up from his full plate of food and stared silently at Goku for a long moment before he finally answered. "No Kakarot, but you are, little brother."

Goku frowned and stared at Raditz. "Raditz…what are you talking about."

"A few days after you were born you were sent off world to destroy a planet. Just after you were sent off Frieza blew the planet to smithereens and told us remaining three that the planet had been destroyed by meteorites."

"You are one of those monsters that--"

Raditz jumped to his feet and glared daggers over at the blue haired female who had just stepped into kitchen. Bulma took a step back from the anger that radiated off the large Saiyan.

"Raditz please" Goku jumped up and grabbed the larger warrior's arm. "Please calm down."

"Brother" Raditz croaked. "Kakarot, she calls a little boy who was barely older than your own baby boy, a child whose mind and body have been violated for so long he no longer cares, a monster. We tried to protect him; we did everything we could do. But it wasn't enough, it was never enough."

Raditz lowered his head and stood shivering struggling to fight back tears. Goku reached out and wrapped both arms tightly around the older male. "Shh, Raditz, calm down. We will figure something out."

Raditz forced his breathing to become calmer. He could feel the awe well up in him as he heard his little brother sound so much like a father Kakarot never had. Bardock would have promised the same thing. But Raditz knew that's all it was, a promise, nothing more. But he couldn't help himself.

"What are we going to do?"

"We are going to train, get strong enough and defeat Frieza."

Raditz shook his head and opened his mouth to answer but before he could say a word another voice piped in.

"That is not an easy task Goku. Frieza is a powerful warrior and he kills without mercy."

Raditz pulled away from his little brother and silently watched as Master Roshi walked into the room leaning against his cane. Raditz bowed his head silently to the seemingly weak older male and watched as Master Roshi settled in his chair.

"How long until he goes completely insane?"

Raditz lowered his head as Master Roshi gave a heavy sigh. "I'm not sure he isn't already there."

Flashback

_A young warrior with spiky black hair watched as the buildings around him burned to the ground. For once the chaos was not of his own making; a larger green man stood laughing as he watched the fires dance around him._

"_Remember Vegeta, it is either they die or we do."_

_The younger warrior watched as a small boy was limping away trying to get away from the flames that danced all around him. The young warrior raised his hand and blasted a hole in the child without a word._

_The green man jerked his head toward the small body as the flames danced higher and higher around him. "Well that ends that."_

_The younger warrior started laughing, falling on the ground clutching his ribs as he laughed loudly. "Bye bye little boy."_

_End flashback_

For a long silent moment no one said as word as Raditz picked Gohan up and placed him on his lap. "That was many years ago, he has been put through hell and worse since then. I can't vouch for his sanity."

"Prince Vegeta?" Master Roshi asked.

"Yeah, he was six-years-old when Frieza took him from Vegetasai."

Master Roshi nodded slightly then moved over to the window staring silently out as he listened to Raditz sing softly to Gohan.

_**Cállese poco uno**_

_**Estoy aquí**_

_**Quitaré las lágrimas**_

_**Tendré usted cierra todo por la noche**_

_**Yo le mantendré seguro con la luz de mañana**_

_**No importa dónde usted es**_

_**Estaré allí correcto por su lado**_

_**Yo siempre estaré de allí guardar su cuero**_

_**Te quiero siempre**_

_**Incluso si usted no tenga nada que ver conmigo**_

_**Por cada combate**_

_**La victoria o derrota**_

_**Estaré por su lado**_

_**Aquí mismo, por cada noche**_

Master Roshi turned as the song ended, he remembered the words from many years ago but he could see that the others didn't have a clue as to what was said. Gohan smiled wide though as if he knew exactly what was said.

**AN: Sorry for the long wait, I'm making up for it by writing new chapters for several stories.**

**Okay, quick question, do you want Vegeta as a bad guy or a good guy? He is not a main character but his personality would change the relationship between him and Gohan.**


	4. Chapter 4

Title: A Father's Instincts

AN: More for this story aren't ya'll happy.

Chapter 4

Raditz shifted his weight from foot to foot easily rocking Gohan back and forth. Gohan had long since fell asleep against his uncle but Raditz continued to slow movement. Master Roshi was watching the display of affection silently from the couch. Yamcha and Krillen were sitting beside him, watching a show as Bulma crossed her arms over her chest. Goku had left to go and speak with his mate about Raditz and had yet to return.

"I know you are watching me," Raditz finally said.

Master Roshi jumped slightly then grinned. "You are like a ghost from the past Raditz. I didn't think that I would ever see you again."

Raditz wrapped his tail around Gohan's and looked away without speaking.

"How old was he when you first met him?"

Raditz glanced over at Bulma as Master Roshi laughed loudly. "Oh I'd say he was about five months along when I first met him. His momma swore up and down she was having a girl though."

"Geez, thanks Master Roshi, I don't think I wanted to know that. I've been called a girl more often then not. Thankfully though no one tried to hit on me."

The other inhabitants snorted loudly and quickly covered their mouths trying to stifle their laughter. Raditz rolled his eyes and looked away rocking Gohan once more.

"We are so sorry" Bulma sneered. "We didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

"Foolish woman" Raditz growled. "Saiyans don't have feelings."

"That's enough" Master Roshi snapped seeing the anger rise in Bulma's eyes. She glanced quickly over at him and simply frowned.

"Yes Master Roshi" Raditz said nodding his head.

"Quit mocking him!" Bulma yelled.

Raditz tensed slightly against the loud noise then glowered over at the offending human. "How is showing respect to someone mocking him? This man began my training into the Martial Arts. All of the knowledge that he gave me, I passed on to Prince Vegeta. All of these are shows of respect. Do not speak of something that you do not understand."

Beyond angry with the human, Raditz stalked out the front door clutching Gohan to his body tightly. Without a word, he took to the sky and blasted off the small island, his scouter beeping as it picked up a high power level near by.

"Maybe that's Kakarot, what do you say Gohan should we go and see?"

The small half-Saiyan stirred slightly in his sleep but otherwise didn't answer. Raditz grinned darkly and took the stirring for the go ahead to go and investigate the power level.

"Here we come Kakarot" Raditz said then took off flying toward the power level.

AN: hey you got two chapters you should be happy. Sorry about the cliffhanger. So any guesses as to who it is they are flying toward?

/hands reviewers cookies/


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